Softball Recap: Irondale Comes Up Short

Irondale had lost 17 straight at home dating back to last season, but on Friday they dropped their record down to 2-15 to make it 18. They lost 13-0 to the Forest Lake Rangers. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Rangers this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 4-1 back in April.

As for Forest Lake, the victory was the seventh in a row for them, bringing their record up to 15-1. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.6 runs on average over those games.

For Forest Lake's part, Annika Antonson made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Antonson has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in nine consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI. Those two hits gave her a new career-high.

In other batting news, Karianne Drury was a standout: she got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run and two runs. Another player making a difference was Olivia Hauer, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, and one double.

Looking ahead, Irondale will be playing at home against Stillwater at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. The Ponies' pitching crew has only allowed 2.9 runs per game this season, so the Knights' hitters will have their work cut out for them. As for Forest Lake, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Woodbury at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.